D.K. Shivakumar to be the new Karnataka CM

The stage is set for eight-time legislator and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar to be sworn in as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday evening, June 3, 2026; This completes the leadership transition from outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that began last week.

The list of Cabinet ministers (estimated to be between 10 and 15) who will be sworn in along with Mr. Shivakumar is expected to be announced by the Congress central leadership on Wednesday. Speculations are also rife that new faces will be inducted into the Cabinet along with those who served under Mr. Siddaramaiah. The cabinet is expected to be expanded after the Rajya Sabha elections. Sources said that there is no clarity yet regarding the Deputy Prime Minister’s duties.

Congress leaders attending the event include Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Chief Ministers VD Satheeshan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telengana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh). A large number of religious leaders, students, pourakarmika, farmer leaders, Dalit leaders and Kannada activists were also invited to the event.

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On the eve of the swearing-in ceremony, amid intense lobbying for the post by legislators in Delhi, leaders continued to hold talks to finalize the list. Both the leaders, who have been in Delhi since Monday, left for Bengaluru late on Tuesday night after meeting the central leaders.

Meanwhile, posters and flags were put up by Mr Shivakumar’s supporters in Bengaluru ahead of the ceremony. The event at Lok Bhavan will be low-key, but Mr. Shivakumar’s supporters, especially in his hometown Kanakapura, are expected to stage grand celebrations. Traffic restrictions have been imposed in Bengaluru, especially in the CBD area.

Siddaramaiah appointed as CWC member

​Regulation change: About leadership transition in Karnataka

Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was on Tuesday appointed as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body. The party seems to have accommodated the senior OBC leader after paving the way for a smooth transition of power to DK Shivakumar. While Mallikarjun Kharge is the Congress president, Jairam Ramesh and Syed Naseer Ahmed are CWC members from Karnataka. MLC BK Hariprasad is a permanent invitee.